About

$82,597

562

backers

A REFRIGERATOR THAT RUNS ON JUST WATER...."

"Impossible!" you say.

Well my friend, let me introduce you to the future:

ASSEMBLES EASILY:

RUNS ON WATER:

PERFECT FOR FRUITS OR VEGETABLES:

WHAT IS IT:

Fenik has spent the last 4 years developing the Yuma 60L, an exciting new way to actively cool food ANYWHERE without the use of electricity! While most refrigerators need electrical components such as fans, air compressors and solar panels to work, the Yuma 60L has no wires or moving parts and can cool down food using only water!

Ever want something to use other than your loud, electricity guzzling refrigerator?

Ever feel the yearning to move off-grid or embrace #vanlife?

Ever go camping but find that all the places that sell ice are closed? Or get lost on multi-day treks and realize a cooler full of melted ice isn’t the answer?

The Yuma 60L could be what you're looking for.

HOW TO USE IT:

The Fenik Yuma 60L is incredibly simple to set up and use in seconds, and comes delivered flat-packed for easy mobility and transportation, meaning it can be put together in a pinch.

At 22.4 x 17.7 x 4.6 inches (or roughly the size of a standard pillow-case), you can grab the Yuma 60L and throw it into your bag for that camping trip, beach party or even keep stored in your home for earthquake preparedness.

Assemble the Yuma 60L by popping in the 4 fiberglass stays, fill it with food and water, and watch the magic work as the inside of the device begins to cool down!

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The real secret to the Yuma 60L is actually that it's not even that fancy or high-tech. If you’ve ever wrapped a towel around a bottle of beer for the end of a hike, or run through a sprinkler or mister on a hot summer’s day, you know how refreshing the feeling can be.

Our Yuma 60L works just like that, but comes in the form of a handy box. Like the above examples, it uses something called “evaporative cooling.” The Yuma 60L stores water within the actual walls of the device. These walls are made of a special material called PhaseTek™, which allows water vapor to evaporate from the sides of the box without allowing any of the liquid water to leak out. Evaporating water pulls heat energy from the inside of the box decreasing the temperature an average of 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit from ambient conditions, and even more in dry, arid environments!

All of the cooling power of the Yuma 60L comes from the PhaseTek™ material, so you'll never have to worry about finding an outlet - being self-reliant in nature never felt so easy.

SPECIFICATIONS:

REWARDS:

Along with our Yuma 60L, we’ve got some exciting items and rewards as a big thank you for supporting us.

OUR STORY

Fenik, originally known as Evaptainers, started out as a student project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The purpose of the project was to develop a low-cost method of preserving fruits and vegetables in remote areas. The research culminated in the invention of the Yuma 60L, which achieves refrigeration through the use of smart materials and the phenomenon of evaporative cooling.

4 years of R&D have brought us through countless prototypes, product iterations, thermal tests, CAD designs and factory visits. Our engineering team has truly invented something novel and innovative, and after rigorous field and lab testing, we are confident our device is ready for mainstream audiences.

OUR SOCIAL MISSION

If you thought we spent the last 4 years developing a low-cost refrigerator for glampers, you're sorely mistaken! Over 1.2 billion people still lack access to electricity, and without electricity, any type of refrigeration. Our core mission is to help these families out of a tough spot by providing products that can improve their lives.

We've already been working in throughout Morocco for the last 3 years, and are collaborating with USAID to conduct a large scale development project next summer.

In the future, we plan to continue designing products for use emerging markets and remote areas, and your support will definitely help us on our mission.

To learn more about our work in North Africa watch our 2016 explainer video

FAQs

HOW COLD DOES THIS ACTUALLY GET?

As an evaporative cooler, the Yuma 60L is dependent on ambient temperature and humidity. Our device will never get as cold as a standard compression refrigerator, so if you are looking for something that can serve you a chilly ice-cold brew, unfortunately this product is not for you. However, our device can take your beverage from "lukewarm and gross" to "nice and refreshing" (and your beer will thank you for it).

Expected Temperature Decrease

(In Fahrenheit)

(In Celsius)

Expected Temperature Inside

(In Fahrenheit)

(In Celsius)

CAN I STORE MEAT IN THIS?

No. The Yuma 60L is designed for use with fruits, vegetables, beverages, dairy products, and snacks that might melt (chocolates, etc).

HOW LONG WILL THIS COOL FOR?

The Yuma 60L will stay cool as long as the walls are filled with water. Each device has a holding capacity of about 4 liters of water and uses 0.5 liters of water per day. We recommend topping off the Yuma 60L with water every morning.

HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM ZEER POTS OR COOLGARDIE SAFES?

Please see the answer to this in the FAQ.

CAN I USE THIS INSIDE?

Absolutely! Most of our users in Morocco actually use this inside their homes. Just store it in a cool or dry part of the house and the device will continue to work normally. Consult the charts above for an estimate of how cold it will be inside the device.

HOW EASY IS IT TO SET UP?

The Yuma 60L can go from flat to ready-to-use in under 20 seconds! Simply open the door, remove the fiberglass rods, and lift the top up to its full height, then click the 4 rods into the corners. It's really that simple!

Easy Assembly!

HOW DO I FILL IT?

Filling is designed to be easy! Once the unit is setup, pull the fill flap Velcro away from the door and separate the two sides, then pour water in between them. With a new Yuma 60L you may need to tilt it as you are filling to make sure the water fills all of the sides during the first use.

Runs on Water!

WHERE DOES THE FOOD GO?

To use the Yuma 60L once it is deployed and walls are full of water, simply open the door and put your food inside. The Fill flap doubles as a handy hinge.

Super Simple To Use!

HOW DO I COLLAPSE THE YUMA 60L?

To return the Yuma 60L to its flat state for transport, open the fill flap and turn it over to remove the residual water. Don't try to collapse it while there is water inside as this may damage the PhaseTek™ walls. Once the water is gone, you can pull the fiberglass rods out of the corners and flatten it. We recommend giving it some time while it is empty to dry our before packing it up to go.

WHAT SHOULD I PUT IN MY YUMA 60L?

Your new Fenik cooler is ideal for fruits and vegetables as well as other things that should be kept at a stable room temperature. It's great for chocolate - no one likes a melted chocolate bar - as well as cheese. Some food, like bananas last longer in a Yuma than a traditional ice cooler because they are susceptible to frost.

(left) Bananas kept on ice (right) Bananas kept in a Yuma 60L

HOW LONG WILL FOOD LAST IN MY YUMA 60L?

Depending on environmental conditions (heat and humidity) food inside of a Yuma 60L can last 3-5x longer than food left outside.

WHAT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT IS THE FENIK YUMA 60L COOLER IN?

We are already in production! As part of our field trials with USAID and Siemens Stiftung, the industrial tooling has already has already been built and the first 500 units are currently in production. Unlike with many other crowdfunding campaigns, it was important to us that we work out many of the production issues BEFORE offing the Yuma 60L for sale to you. We still very much need your help to fulfill our mission in the developing world - without your participation we won't have the resources necessary to support our work in emerging markets.

Risks and challenges

The Fenik team has spent the last 2 years building the supply chain and creating the manufacturing/tooling needed to produce the Yuma cooler. We waited longer than is typical in a product's life cycle to pursue crowdfunding because we wanted to work through many of the problems that normally plague campaigns in advance and give you the best customer experience possible. With that said, crowdfunding isn't e-commerce and there are inherent risks which we we want to be upfront about.

1) Fenik is a labor of love. The co-founders have spent years working on the project without compensation because we believe refrigeration is a fundamental right and want to make it more accessible to everyone. Our business model is unusual in that we are trying to sell products to low-income families living off-grid for as close to cost as we can. This is made possible because of initiatives like this Kickstarter campaign, which help us cover the company's ongoing overhead. We believe that this arrangement is incredibly powerful and will allow us to impact the lives of exponentially more people than a traditional donation model. What this means is: while we have plenty determination and heart, we don't have endless financial resources. We are proud of what we have accomplished so far, but if manufacturing problems arise, things MAY take a little extra time than anticipated. Have faith that we will do everything in our power to resolve any obstacle which presents itself as quickly as we can.

2) Another potential risk is our choice in offering the Yuma Cooler to anyone in the world. This is a risk simply because shipping logistics can get really complicated (and very expensive), especially with a larger item like the Fenik Yuma 60L. Because of the incredible responses we've gotten on our website from people all around the world, we wanted to give everyone a chance to purchase one of these units and we are doing everything we can to be very upfront about what it takes to get you your Yuma Cooler. All international fees include the total cost of freight (meaning you will NOT receive any extra charges upon arrival). We can assure you that we are not making any money on our international shipping fees, only covering a portion of the full charges. If you are interested in purchasing a Yuma 60L and don't live in one of the countries that we have quoted shipping for, please reach out so that we can calculate what it will cost to get one to you.

We know how important communication is and we pledge to be open and transparent with you to the best of our abilities. We commit to resolving issues as rapidly as is feasible given the circumstances and resources available. We need your help to grow the project and fulfill our mission of helping rural families and we are incredibly appreciative and humbled by your support.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $25 or more
About $25

Thank you + Evaporative Cooling Bandana!

This goes a long way in supporting the work we do in the emerging markets, and helping families everywhere get access to refrigeration.

As a thank you, we'd love to offer you our limited edition "Fenik 2018 Kickstarter Supporter" evaporative cooling bandanas. Just wet, wring, and wear: our cool bandanas will keep you or your pets cool in the summer through the same principle that our Fenik coolers use!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $120 or more
About $120

Early Bird Special

You will receive a limited edition Fenik Yuma 60L Cooler at $20 off! As an added thank you for backing this campaign, you'll also receive our Easy Carrying Strap so that you can effortlessly take your Yuma anywhere!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $140 or more
About $140

Fenik Yuma 60L Cooler (Early Delivery)

Unlike other Kickstarter projects, we have already begun mass production of our units. We have 50 units available in our first production run that will be ready to ship out to supporters soon after the campaign ends! As an added bonus you will get our awesome Easy Carrying Strap!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $250 or more
About $250

Buy One, Give One

Directly support a family in need of refrigeration. You receive a Fenik Yuma 60L Cooler, and we use the rest of the money to manufacture and deliver one of our coolers to a family in need. As a thank you, we will throw in our Easy Carrying Strap.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,500 or more
About $1,500

Gold Sponsor

Sponsor a community - this gold sponsorship comes with 1 Fenik Yuma 60L cooler + Easy Carrying Strap and covers the manufacture and delivery of 10 Fenik Yuma 60L units to a community in need. These units will be donated in your name (or the name of the person/entity you desire) and we will keep you up to date with the beneficiaries.